Electric switch



June 30, 1925. 1,544,474

' A. H. NERO ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Aug. 2, 1921 HRV/D H. NERO Patented Jime 30,1925

UNITED STATESHPATENT F 1,544,474 FICE.

anvrn H. Kano, ornnw BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 was ARROW ELEC- 1310 comm, 01" HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A conromrron 0]? CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC swr'ron.

Application filed August 2, 1821. Serial No, 489,292.

To all whom it may comm:

Be it known that'I, ARVID H. Nnno,a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented f certain new, and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the follow ng is'a specification.

My invention relates to electric switches,

and particularly to a switch for electric lamp sockets, the'object of my invention being to provide a simple and effective switch mechanism afi'ording a nick-make and break of the circuit, and capa le ofsafely handling a relatively heavy current. The invention also comprises certain features of improvement-in general construction and arrangement of. parts hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which p 3 f Fig. 1 is a broken plan of the body of an electric lamp socket in which my invention is embodied in one form;

Fig. 2 is a plan, view with the top portion of the insulating body removed and showing the switch elements in different positions; 4

Fig. 3 is-a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1; Figs. 4 and '5 are sections on the 4--4 and 5-5 respectively, Fig.\3; Figi 6 is a section on the line 6+6, Fig.

Ie the present switch mechanism may be applied to electric switches of various sorts, I have for convenience illustrated it in an-electric lamp socket; As here shown the socket comprises an insulating bodyhaving insulating buttons 10 and 11 united by through screws 12 and 13. Thebutton 11 is recessed on-its meeting\face to afiord a switchchamber 14 and channel 15, through which passes the rotaryspindle 16 onwhieh is mounted the exterior actuating thumb piece17. w

Mounted on the outer face of the button 11 is the usual screw shell 18 of the lamp socket, the base flange of which is overlai by the yoke 19 ta ped toreceive the holding screws 12 an 13 which thus not onlyunite the buttons, but also secure the screw shell in position on the socket body. The oke 19 is-provided with an 'oflsetlug 20w ch passes through an opener-e 21 1n of the screw in 'an'exterior' 7 is a section on'the line 7 -7,- Fig. 2.

./ In or rectly to the screw-shelh 5 On the opposi'te side of the body, the buttons 10 and 11 are recessedat 24 to r,e-

cei've the terminal strap 25 carrying the binding screw,26 .for the other lead wire,

" and. having its base oflset to receive a holding screw 27. Beneath the headof the latter is engaged :the foot piece 28 of the switch contact 29 which passes through a hole 30 in.the button 11 and rests against the 'wall of the switch chamber in one corner ofjthe latter. A second switch contact 31 lies in the adjacent corner of the chamber. on the opposite side of the switch spindle 16' and passes through a similar hole 30in the button 11 to' the outer face of the latter, where it is offset to formv the center contact 32 of the socket. A screw or rivet 33 passing through the body. of the center contact 32 engages a countersunk nut 34"inthe switch chamber, or has its inner end riveted over at-this" point to securethe center contact in position.

To make or break the circuit between" the a switch contacts 29 and 31, I provide'a U- shaped switch bar 35 freely mounted on the rotaryspindle 16 and carried by a spring yoke 36, the arms 37 and 38 ofwhich straddle the actuating-- slide'plates 39 and 40. The latter are provided with offset in pivoted on "pins 41 and-42, which may e convenientl .formed as lugs onop osite sides of the-frame 43. The base of the rame --is let into a suitable recess in the bottom of the switch chamber 14 and is securedby the'screw 44 passing through the button 11,

and'hav ing 'its head countersunk beneaththe center contact 32. At right angles to the pins 41 and42 are standards 45 and 46, in which the spindle 16"is journaleidh At this point'the spindleis provided with flats, with which engage the cams 47 and 48, at

. right angles to each other on the spindle and spaced apart by a hollow bushing 49. The spindle may .be secured in the frame in any suitable manner, as by the cotter pin 50 passing through a hole in the end of the spindle (iprojecting beyond the standard 45. er to steady the frame and the pivot pin 41 and 42, holes 51 and 52 are formed in the inner face of the button 10. Clearance recesses 53 and 54 are also formed in this button to accommodate the cams 4:7 and 4E8 during their rotation. The slide plates 39 and 4-0 as well as the switch bar are retained imposition by the button 10, which not only prevents the slides from escaping the pins 41 and 42, but also prevents the switch bar and spring yoke from turning with the switch spindle. v

The-operation of the switch is readily understood. Assuming the switch to be in the circuit-closing position indicated in Fig. 1, the thumb piece 17 is turned either clockwise or contra-clockwise. As it rotates it carries with it the cams 47 and 48, which are fast thereon. inner. faces of the slide plates 39- and 40, which lie on opposite sides of the spindle. Consequently, as tlie'spindle rotates, the cam 4-7 moves out of the path of the ends of the slide plates on one side of their axes, while the cam 48, bearing against the ends of the slide plates on the opposite side of their axes, rock them to the position shown in Fig. 2. As the ends of the'slide plates adjacent the switch bar move apart, they spread the spring legs 37 and 38 of the yoke 36 and place the latter under greater tension. As soon therefore as the slide plates have been shifted by the cam 48 to an inclination opposite to that which they occupy in" Fig. 1, the spring legs 37 and 38 of the yoke, tending to approach each other, slide down these-inclines to the position shown in Fig.2. This results in the longitudinal shifting of the yoke and the associated switch bar on the spindle 16, which moves with a snap action from the circuit-closing position of Fig. ljto the circuit-breaking position of Fig. 2. ,A double break in the circuit is thus effected.

.Various modifications in details of construction and operation will readily occur to those dealing with the problem, without departing, however, from what I claim a my lnvention.

I.claim:- 1. An electric switch having a pair of spaced contacts, a spring-yoke switch bar,

. a pair of pivoted slide plates embraced by said spring yoke, and rotary cam means for,

. simultaneously rocking said slide plates in opposite directions to tension and has said spring yoke and thereby impart rectilinear movement to the switch. bar to make or break connection with the switch contacts.

2. An electric switch having a pair of spaced contacts, a spring-yoke switch bar, a pair of pivoted slide plates embraced by said spring'yoke, and cam means. rotatable in either direction to simultaneously 'rock The latter'bear upon the said slide plates in opposite directions to tension and bias said spring yoke and thereby impart rectilinear movement to the switch bar to make or break connection with the switch contacts.

.3. An electric switch having a pair of whereby said spring yoke is tensioned and biased, thereby imparting rectilinear movement to the switch bar to. make or break connection with the switch contacts.

4. An electric switch having a pair of spaced contacts, a spring-yoke switch bar,

a rotary switch spindle on which the switch bar element is guided for rectilinear movement, a pair of pivoted slide plates em- -braced by said spring yoke and lying on opposite sides of the switch spindle, and

means on. the spindle to engage and rock said slide, plates simultaneously in opposite directions'onthe rotation of the spindle in either direction whereby said spring yoke is tensioned and biased, thereby imparting rectilinear movement to the, switch bar to make or break connection with the switch contacts.

5. In an electric switch, a switch chamber having an end wall, a rotary switch spindle passing through said wall, a pair of switch contacts resting against said wall on opposite sides of the switch spindle, a reciprocating s ring-yoke switch bar guided on said spindl tacts, a pair of pivoted slide plates embraced by said spring yoke and means operative, on the rotation of the spindle, to rock said slide plates in opposite directions thereby to tension and bias said spring-yoke switch anvin H. NERO.

e and cooperating with said conas I 

